Shoes thrown at Bush on Iraq trip

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7782774.stm

A surprise visit by US President George Bush to Iraq has been overshadowed by an incident in which two shoes were thrown at him during a news conference.

An Iraqi journalist was wrestled to the floor by security guards after he called Mr Bush "a dog" and threw his footwear, just missing the president.

Showing the soles of shoes to someone is a sign of contempt in Arab culture.

During the trip, Mr Bush and Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki signed the new security agreement between their countries.

The pact calls for US troops to leave Iraq in 2011 - eight years after the 2003 invasion that has in part defined the Bush presidency.

I apologize for mixing sources. The article and link are from the BBC. I do not know how to cut video from the site though, so I have posted video of the event from MSNBC.

I wonder what got that Iraqi journalist so mad. Oh wait, I bet I know. It's probably that Bush is responsible for the utter destruction of the poor guys country. Yeah, that's probably it.

********
By way of an update. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7785338.stm

White House considers auto rescue

The White House says it is considering using money earmarked to rescue the US banking industry to bail out the country's struggling automakers.

A $14bn (£9.4bn) bail-out deal for the US car industry failed to get Senate support, raising fears of job cuts and a possible industry collapse.

The White House said that the US economy could not withstand a body blow like the collapse of the auto industry.

The Federal government may have to step in, a spokesman added.

'Irresponsible'

Earlier this year, the US approved a $700bn (£467bn) bail-out for the finance industry, known as the TARP programme.

It had previously been reluctant to use this money for other industries but White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said it would consider other options, including the use of the TARP program, to prevent a collapse of troubled automakers.

She added that it would be "irresponsible" to further damage the economy by allowing the Detroit car companies to fail.

"The current weakened state of the economy is such that it could not withstand a body blow like a disorderly bankruptcy in the auto industry," she added.

President-elect Barack Obama said he was disappointed that the Senate failed to act, adding that "millions of jobs rely directly or indirectly on a viable auto industry".

"My hope is that the administration and the Congress will still find a way to give the industry the temporary assistance it needs while demanding the long-term-restructuring that is absolutely required," he said.

'Devastating'

The Big Three - Chrysler, General Motors and Ford - employ 250,000 people directly, and many more indirectly, in companies making auto parts and car dealerships.

The United Automobile Workers (UAW) union on Friday warned that if a bail-out was not forthcoming, the result would be "devastating."

The union's president, Ron Gettelfinger said he was confident that there were "enough sane" people in Washington to find a solution despite the Senate's defeat of the bail out bill.

Tense and emotional

The White House had said the plan was American carmakers' "best chance to avoid a disorderly bankruptcy".

Shares fell sharply around the world after the bail-out was rejected - with carmakers among the hardest hit. General Motors fell 10% while Ford lost 7% in early trading.

In Asia, stocks in Toyota, Honda and Nissan all lost at least 10%.

The Republicans refused to back the bail-out after the UAW union refused to cut wages next year to bring them into line with their Japanese counterparts. UAW's current contract with the car makers expires in 2011.

"We were about three words away from a deal," said Republican Sen Bob Corker. "We solved everything substantively and about three words keep us from reaching a conclusion."

The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Washington said it was always going to be a battle to get the US Senate to approve the $14bn bridging loan.

With a majority of just one in the Senate, the Democrats needed some Republicans to back the bill as some in their own party were expected to vote against it.

The atmosphere in the Senate was tense and at times emotional, our correspondent says, as the Democrats made last-minute pleas to get their Republican counterparts to vote in favour of helping America's biggest car domestic makers, Ford, Chrysler and General Motors.

Millions affected

The failure of the bail-out raises the prospect of huge job losses.

The Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, said he was "terribly disappointed" when it became clear the vote had collapsed, calling it "a loss for the country".

"Millions of Americans, not only the auto workers but people who sell cars, car dealerships, people who work on cars are going to be directly impacted and affected."

The deal would have given the Big Three carmakers access to emergency funding to help them cope with the sharp downturn in sales because of the global financial crisis.

General Motors and Chrysler have said they risk ruin without immediate aid. Ford says it may need funds in the future.

The bosses of the three firms had previously asked for $34bn from Congress.

They have all seen sales fall sharply this year in the US, partly reflecting an industry-wide fall, and partly because their large gas-guzzling vehicles are no longer what customers want.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7779981.stm


I am torn on this issue. I was totally against the bailout and I am not really for "rescuing" the Big Three with billions of dollars. But I would rather see American jobs saved than money go to banks that are showing they are not unfreezing the credit market or attempting to assist the economy. Instead, banks are raising interest rates, not giving loans to long-time, good -standing customers, cutting jobs to increase profits, and shoring up funds for later. At least if you take some of the money to help the Big Three, we might see some good come of it. Help me with some other perspectives guys.

**I will reiterate again too, the Bank Bailout was a terrible idea .**

Just. A few. More. Weeks. Can't Wait.

I saw a transcript from the Bush-Gibson interview and I was planning on posting it. Glad I waited. Stewart does it better justice. But Jesus, people voted for this man? Twice. Ugh...My favorite part is that he says his biggest regret was the intelligence failure in Iraq. Seriously, his regret is that the intelligence didn't match up with the plan his administration had already put into action. Damn it. That is not how intelligence works you maniacal shit holes! You gather intelligence THEN construct a plan. I also enjoyed (and I don't think it's shown here) that his biggest success is that he "stood up to ideological thugs." The funny part about that is I can imagine bin Laden conducting a similar exit interview. "Well, Ali we may be losing the war against the Great Satan, but I know in my heart that we have succeeded by standing up to the ideological thugs and infidels that rule America."

Ah well, only a few more weeks.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

End Times Countdown - Bush Exit Interviews

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
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US 'in secret overseas strikes'

The US has carried out nearly a dozen anti-terror attacks in Pakistan, Syria and elsewhere in the past four years, the New York Times has reported.

The previously unreported attacks were authorised in 2004 by Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Times quoted senior officials as saying.

The order gave US forces permission to attack terror targets anywhere in the world without prior specific approval.

The Times said the defence department declined to comment on its claims.

The White House also made no comment.

'Called off'

The paper said it had spoken to more than six officials, "including current and former military and intelligence officials" as well as senior policy makers in the Bush administration.

They said that the order, signed by Mr Rumsfeld with the approval of President George W Bush, was intended to make it easier for the US military to act outside officially declared war zones at short notice.

In total, 15 to 20 countries were covered by the mandate and attacks had been carried out in Pakistan, Syria and "several other countries," the paper reported.

Some were conducted in coordination with the CIA and one was broadcast live to CIA headquarters in Virginia, via cameras mounted on aircraft.

The paper's sources also claimed that "as many as a dozen" attacks had been called off - "often to the dismay of military commanders" - due to lack of evidence or because they were considered too dangerous or "diplomatically explosive".

The US has carried out many attacks along Pakistan's border areas recently and was blamed for an attack in eastern Syria last month.

From the BBC.

I guess this isn't surprising, but I am not sure about the wisdom of it. There are probably times when this sort of thing is necessary--a "gott'em in your sights situation." But still, much like the ticking bomb torture justification, I am not sure how often that situation ever arises and what it is likely to gain. What is most likely to happen, I would think, is that innocent people are killed in "collateral damage" and the event tarnishes the image of the US. It would be nice to know how often the attack kills its target versus the number of civilians killed.

It is not like Bush is the only one to do this sort of thing either. Clinton did the same when he attacked a training camp in Afghanistan and a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan. In the former, the attack seemed to accomplish little. In the latter I think a couple of people were killed in what turned out to be a an Asprin factory.

Obama: McCain is to Bush as Robin is to Batman

From CNN Political Producer Chris Welch

Obama compared Pres. Bush and McCain to Batman and Robin.

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) – Barack Obama took his comparisons of John McCain and President Bush one step further Saturday night at a rally in New Mexico, implying the two Republicans are like the duo of Batman and Robin.

"John McCain suggested that he would be the one to change George Bush's policies," Obama said, before adding that if that were to happen it'd be "like Dick Cheney attacking George Bush."

"It's like Robin getting mad at batman. John McCain hasn't been a maverick. He's been a sidekick when it comes to George Bush's economic policies.”

Earlier in the weekend, Obama said running mate Joe Biden had said McCain criticizing Bush would be "like Tonto getting mad at the Lone Ranger."

Biden never actually said that — but he has made similar references using Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

The Illinois senator heads to battleground Colorado for events Sunday.

Nana-nana-nana-nana...McCain! Pretty old for a boy wonder dontcha think? Any other suggestions for whose sidekick McCain might be? Usually they are much younger, wards for example, so it would be more likely that it is someone much older than McCain. Maybe Nick Fury. He must be about 130 by now.

On a traitorous matter...

I was looking for a good way to go into this topic, but while looking, I found an amazing letter on Congress.org that some one had written to the president that expresses pretty much my exact thoughts on this, as I see it, traitorous, immoral and criminal matter.

(Here's the link to the original)

Subject: Let the Iraqi Oil Hunt Begin! To: President George Bush September 14, 2007 In one of the strangest moves to date, an American oil company signed a deal with Iraq's Kurdish regional government. This occurred as the Bush administration continues to press for a national Iraq oil law, one that shares the proceeds, however meager, with "all the citizens" of Iraq. What makes it even more odd is the U.S. company is Hunt Oil, whose CEO Ray Hunt is a personal friend of President George W. Bush. Ray recently dined on Dover Sole with Queen Elizabeth in the Bush version of the Clinton Lincoln Bedroom. Who says Bush doesn't wine and dine his major donors? Ray even made Pioneer status. While the Kurdish region passed an oil law last August, there is risk in Hunt Oil's inking a deal prior to the signing of a national law. President Bush holds the trump card with his Executive Order 13303, intended to maintain the integrity of Iraq's oil resources. Might he or the Treasury Chief declare the Hunt deal illegal? Doubtful, as Ray served as Chair of the Dallas Federal Reserve System Bank. As for President Bush, the two men are thick as thieves. Ray Hunt served as Chairman of the Board of Southern Methodist University, future home of the Bush Library. He still sits on the board of that august institute of higher learning. Unfortunately the Bush Library will paint the Bush Presidency as something other than an eight year exercise in partisan division. Hopefully Freedom's Watch will get a corner with windows as it rode in to save the long suffering Bush legacy. Ray Hunt's connections wind throughout the Iraq oil deal. Ray serves on President Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and a member of the National Petroleum Council which advises the Secretary of Energy. Mr. Hunt shares the boardroom table at EDS, founded by Ross Perot. The only other oil firm to ink a deal in Kurdistan is associated with Ross Perot Jr. It looks like politically connected Ray is ready to do more Texas style wildcatting. I think the Iraqi people have enough problems without unleashing a rabid Republican into their midst. For links go to: http://peureport.blogspot.com/2007/09/let-iraqi-oil-hunt-begin.html San Angelo , TX